Junpei, Aegis, Yukari and Minako go to class

(Chapter originally by faith on writing.com)

The four girls were waiting for the boys and robot as they left the office. The girls were using their book bags to their private places as much as possible....which was very little, as it turned out. Mitsuru and Yukari glared daggers at the boys, apparently trying to drown their shame in their usual standby of sharp anger. Minako and Fuuka simply looked like they wanted to be somewhere far, far away.

"Good. Now then, let me make this clear. You will walk in front of us at all times. You will not look back or make eye contact with either of us unless absolutely necessary. Your primary duty will be to make certain no one in the hallways has an opportunity to stare at us as we-" Mitsuru began.

"I'll walk wherever and however I want, thanks." Akihiko said. "In fact, I think I'd much rather bring up the rear. So, after you two..."

Fuuka cringed at his statement, and Mitsuru reared up like a mother bear...although her awkward stance hiding her nudity did kill much of the intimidation factor.

"You seem awfully cocky today, Akihiko. Has my lack of clothing convinced you I pose no threat? I assure you my execution skills have not dulled despite recent circumstances!"

"No doubt. I just don't think your lack of clothing has dulled your sense of duty or integrity, either." Akihiko said. "If your really the woman I've worked with and come to respect, I have nothing to worry about."

"Respect? This is what you call showing respect?" Mitsuru growled.

"Of course. All four of you, to one degree or another, are in incredible shape. Even though you don't believe in my kind of training regime, each of you has kept yourselves in good shape and toned your bodies extremely well. I'm impressed. I always suspected you would all look good naked, but you far surpassed my estimations. How could I help but admire that?"

Mitsuru's eye twitched. "Akihiko...I hope your not trying to convince me that your so ignorant of my expectations that you believe it is acceptable to stand there and stare."

"Hmmm? Is there something wrong with that? If that's the case, you passed up a golden opportunity to execute me on the beach trip. I was staring then, too."

"Th-that's absurd. We were wearing swimsuits then! I fully expected and wanted you t....I..." Mitsuru stuttered while Akihiko raised an eyebrow."It was an entirely different situation!"

"Oh? And what's the difference?"

"Obviously, that we're naked!!"

"I see. So you want to execute me for my hand in you being naked?"

"What? No! What are you even-"

"So you do admit that I had absolutely nothing to do with you showing up to school naked as the day you were born, and that I wasn't responsible for any of the depraved things you did when you got here?" Akihiko said, crossing his arms.

"You...I...THE ISSUE IS THAT YOU ARE SEEING US THAT WAY!" Mitsuru said. "The same reason you were executed in the hot springs! You do recall that, correct?"

"Oh yeah. I remember that incident real well." Akihiko said, a glare forming on his face. "So we've established I CAN look at a girl who is baring skin, under some circumstances. But not others. Right?"

"Obviously! Stop being obtuse and-"

"No, no, no. Let's get right down to it. Was it the fact that all of you were naked back then, or was the problem that we weren't supposed to be in a place were you all got naked and saw things we wouldn't have seen if we were where we were supposed to be?" Akihiko said. "Just to clarify that incident once and for all."

"B-BOTH!"

"Really? So, if I decided one day to take off all my clothes and walked around the dorm and ran into, say, Minako, would you want to execute me...or Minako?" Akihiko asked.

"Obviously I would execute you for such a lewd...now wait just a-"

"In other words, seeing someone naked is grounds for execution in some places, and BEING naked is grounds for execution in others! So, Miss Kirijo, tell me this- is a public school an appropriate venue for a respectable young woman to flaunt herself around in the nude?"

".......I...wasn't...flaunting...." Mitsuru sputtered. "A-and there were extenuating circumstances!"

"Extenuating circumstances? Interesting! Very interesting. By the way, did I ever mention the reason I was in the bath was because we'd lost track of time and Junpei is an idiot?"

"Huh? Hey, don't drag me into this!"

"Yeah! It was Ryuji's idea, anyway." Minako said.

Everyone paused a moment.

"Ryu-who-ji?" Junpei asked.

"Sorry, Minako. It was 100% his idea." Akihiko nodded. "And he failed to mention the time until it was too late to get out."

"I don't see what-" Mitsuru began.

"And when I tried to mention this, a certain Executioner cut me off with, and I quote 'Silence! I won't hear any excuses! I will EXECUTE you all!'" Akihiko said.

"....I don't sound like that." Mitsuru said softly.

"So apparently extenuating circumstances aren't admissible in the court of Kirijo." Akihiko said, crossing his arms.

There was a long pause.

"I...will admit...I have...occasionally been...overzealous." Mitsuru said, looking away from him. "But even so...you have to realize that we are being **** to do this. Surely mental domination should....count for....oh no."

Akihiko smiled. "Caught you."

"Ummm....what?" Junpei asked.

"Oh, you didn't know. During that whole love hotel incident, Mitusuru and I ended up in the same room. Went through that whole hypno routine like the rest of you did. The only difference is that when Mitsuru here came out of it."

"Ummmm...what happened?" Junpei asked.

"Let's just say the hot springs execution looks pretty tame by comparison." Akihiko said.

Mitsuru coughed softly to herself. "I...v-very well. You...have made a valid point. I...suppose I will...allow your some...leeway in these circumstances."

"How generous. Just one little problem. I think I made a bigger point. Like I said, under some circumstances, being naked in public is deserving of an execution."

"....Akihiko, your not...you wouldn't..."

"And since we've established that excuses, including mind control, aren't valid when it comes to Executions, I think its safe to say your the one who needs to get Executed here."

".....Now...just wait a moment! That's...you....you...." Mitsuru paused, glared, then hung her head. "Yes. That...would seem to be the case."

"Like I said. Woman of integrity."

".....you've been waiting to make this case awhile, haven't you?" Mitsuru said, a note of resignation and a hint of admiration in her voice.

"Let's just say after getting the brunt of your executions I've been keeping track of some arguments. Just in case. Its like losing to a tough opponent and thinking about how you'd beat em if you ever got the chance."

"Very well....how precisely do you intend to 'execute' me?" Mitsuru said. Now there was almost an air of anticipation.

"I'll leave that a surprise. You guys should get to class."

The trio watched Mitsuru, Fuuka, and Akihiko exit down the hallway. There was something...timid in Mitsuru. Deferential, even.